Microsoft's "Where's my phone update, dude?" has sort-of answers

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 28 March 2011 12:10

Your IT - Mobility

Although Apple is able to co-ordinate a multi-country, simultaneous iOS update across multiple devices and multiple telcos, Microsoft is delivering a staggered update timeframe that sees most places still undergoing carrier testing.

Patience is a virtue, especially if you're a Windows Phone 7 owner that wishes they could install and enjoy the latest Win Phone 7 OS update.

While Android OS updates also plague most Android OS phone owners, Microsoft did seem to have the intention of wanting to provide a globally simultaneous update for everyone like Apple,

However, the reality of multiple hardware manufacturers from a set minimum hardware requirements list hasn't prevented the need for extensive updated smartphone and carrier network testing before being unleashed onto everyone, with update problems having previously hit some Samsung Win Phone 7 users.

So, Microsoft, its manufacturing partners and carriers are being more careful so that when they actually do deploy, it goes smoothly for everyone. Or at least, that's what everyone's hoping for - no-one likes getting the error message that the update failed and oops your phone is bricked.

So, with the clear intention to prevent that from happening again (as it did with some Samsungs), Microsoft has released an update schedule called 'Where's my phone update?". Microsoft did not use the word "dude".

There's a list for US customers and those internationally. It's a static list, which will presumably be updated as testing and then eventual deployment is complete.

For now, many will just have to wait for the time their phones become updatable, which is the same sorry situation fAndroids find themselves in. I mean, at least anyone could buy a copy of Windows and choose to update to the latest version when they wanted to - but in the world of mobile phones, you are at the mercy of the carrier and the disorganised OS maker.

Unless you're an iPhone owner, of course. Still, it's a good lesson for Microsoft: they need to try much, much, muuuuuch harder next time to have ALL the phones in their possessions so they can test, re-test, load, upload, do whatever it you gotta do to keep their customers - who have eschewed iPhones and Androids to go Windows - updated with the latest at the earliest.

After all, Microsoft definitely got themselves back in the game with an impressive mobile phone OS that looks so good it's still hard to believe Microsoft actually made it themselves, given the last decade-plus of Windows Mobile purgatory.

So, what does Microsoft's notice on upcoming updates say about when you might be able to get it for your Windows Phone 7 phone? (Gawd there needs to be a smoother way to say that! Windows Phone is one way but sheesh).

Anyway'¦ please read on to page two.